Building construction



Aug 29, 1939. J. c. P. LEEMHUIS 2,171,001

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 24, 1936 2 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS JOHANNES C P. LEEMYHUIS J. C. P LEEMHUIS BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 24, 1936 2 Sheets-$heet 2 a i Ill Q 1 Q INVENTOR g a JOHANNES C. P. LEEMHUIS B W, N7

. ATT RNEYs Aug. 29, 1939.

Patented Aug. 29, 1939 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Johannes Cornelis Pieter Leemhuis, Johannesburg, Transvaal, Union of South Africa, assignor of one-half to Harry Schoenhaut, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application December 24, 1936, Serial No. 117,663 In Great Britain December 8, 1936 Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line IVIV of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken on line VV of Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 1, and

Fig. '7 is a perspective View of the skeleton framework or reinforcement system as could be used in producing in reinforced concrete the unit shown in Fig. 3.

The floor or roof structure may be formed, as shown'in Fig. 1 of the drawings, by a series of 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to building construction and is more particularly concerned with the construction of floors and roofs by the use of beams which may conveniently be formed of pre- 5} cast concrete preferably having metallic reinforcement, although the practice of the invention is not confined to the use of concrete.

One feature of this invention is to provide modified beams which, in assembly, are self-locking in the direction of their load so as to form a hollow floor or roof structure comprising a series of separately constructed interlocked upper and lower members which function as a whole without the use of extraneous securing or bonding media.

A second feature of this invention resides in providing self-locking building units which can rapidly be erected upon the transverse members of a building structure without the use of shuttering or decking as is commonly used in floor and. roof construction.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of building units for the purpose described which can be applied in. single spans extending between transversemembers of a building structure, or alternatively can be self-bonded in assembly so that a plurality thereof in longitudinal continuity can be utilized without support intermediate the total length of the bonded units to span the distance between transverse members of a building structure.

Another feature resides in pre-casting the building units in concrete which is applied in a mould to a skeleton framework of metal reinforcements.

Constructionally, the building units of this invention may comprise flanged beams having transversely projecting ribs which, when the beams are brought together with their longitudinal edges in superimposed relation, engage recesses and/or projections of the profile of the adjacent beams to lock the latter together in the direction of the load applied thereto.

Practical examples of the construction and application of the building units of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a hollow floor or 50 roof assembly formed by a plurality of the selflo'cking units of this invention,

Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of a lower and upper unit respectively as shown assembled in Fig. 1, the upper beam shown in Fig. 3 being inverted,

closely assembled flanged beams which comor roof.

Each of the beams A and B is of I-shaped crosssection,

each beam A having a narrow lower flange l0 and wide upper flange ll joined by a substantially vertical web l2, while each of the lower beams B has a narrow upper flange l3 and wide lower flange [4 joined by a vertical web IS. The webs l2 and 15 may be flared at their ends so that the junctions between the webs and their respective flanges are strengthened by the bevelled surfaces I1, 18 which extend longitudinally of the beams.

As shown in Fig. 3, the upper beams A may be provided with vertical ribs l9 lying transversely of the beam and projecting outwards alternately from either side of the web. The webs preferably are spaced as shown with the distance between their centre lines substantially equal.

The lower beams B may also be provided with ribs 20 which are spaced along the beams at equal distances apart, the distance between the centres of the ribs 20 being equal to that between the ribs 19 of the beams A. The disposition of the ribs 20 to each side of the web 15 is in reverse rotation tothat of the ribs 19 about the web [2 so that the beams form right and left hand pairs.

Thus,

flanges M of beams B which lie beneath theflanges Ill of beams A are slightly spaced apart thus to ensure that the ribs I9, 20 thrust directly against the webs I2, 15. The lower portion of the front edge of each rib- I9 is rebated to receive the front edges of the flanges l3 of the beams B, while the front edges of the ribs 20 are similarly rebated to accommodate the front edges of the flanges ll] of the beams A as shown in Fig. 6. Each bevel face I8 is recessed at a point opposite each rib I9, 20 so that the rebated webs i9, 20 fit snugly into the recessed portions. The upper portion of the front edge of each rib I 9 and the corresponding lower portion of each rib- 20 is cut away at an angle so as to engage snugly the bevelled surfaces ll of the beams when the latter are assembled (Fig. 6).

Clearance holes such as those indicated by the references 22, 23 may be provided in the webs and ribs respectively of the beams A and B to permit the run of reinforcing members and/or service pipes, conduits and wire along the structure. These holes will be suitably positioned in the flanges or webs so as to aline when the beams are assembled.

In assembling the beams A and B they are brought together by the bodily displacement of each beam, in. turn, in a lateral direction while the beams shown in Fig. 6 would, for example, be assembled in the order a, b, c, d, c. When thus assembled, the beams are self-locked against displacement in a vertical plane, while if necessary they may be secured against movement in a horizontal plane by the use of rods passed through the holes 22 and/or 23.

In utilising the beams for constructing flat roofs, or floors of upper stories of a building, the lower flanges M of the beams B will form the ceiling of the room beneath, and if necessary may readily be finished by a rendering of plaster. 1

The beams may be formed of any suitable material and by any convenient process and could for example be formed by pressing sheet metal to the requisitershape of the beam and welding thereto the transverse ribs.

On the other hand reinforced concrete could be used, with great advantage for producing the beams in precast form ready for use,

In one convenient manner for producing the beams in concrete, a skeleton or framework of metal bars could be built up as shown in Fig. 7. In practically constructing a frame of this nature, which is for use in producing an upper beam A, longitudinal rods 24 of suitable gauge are secured together by transverse rods 25 for the upper flange H, while a single longitudinal rod 25 of heavier gauge metal for reinforcing the lower flange ill is secured to the rods 24, 25 by vertical rods 2'! which also constitute reinforcements for the web E2. The transverse rods 26 and vertical rods 2? are located in the requisite position for the ribs Hi, and suitably shaped rods 28 are secured at these points as a reinforcement for the ribs. The various members of the framework may be secured together by spot welding and the frame, so erected, placed in a sectional mould in which cement in plastic or semi-dry state is poured. The cross-sectional arrangement of reinforced beams so produced is indicated in Figs. 4 and 6. In producing the beams B from reinforced concrete the middle rod 28 of the three longitudinal rods embedded in the lower flange I4 is formed of heavier gauge metal than that of the rods 25 used in the framework shown in Fig. '7. Use may be made of vibrating moulds in which to mould or cast the beams of this invention.

The specific constructional arrangement herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings is set forth merely by way of example and should not in any way be taken as limiting the invention to the constructional features embodied therein.

I claim:

1. A hollow floor or roof structure which includes a series of lower beams supported at their extremities and having upper and lower flanges, and a series of upper beams resting uponsaid lower beams and having upper and lower flanges, each of said lower beams having secured thereto at least one transverse rib which engages an adjacent one of said upper beams between the flanges thereof and so locks the said adjacent upper and lower beams together in the direction of their load.

2. A hollow floor or roof structure which includes a series of lower beams supported at their extremities and having upper and lower flanges, and a series of upper beams resting upon said lower beams and having upper and lower flanges, each of said upper beams having secured thereto at least one transverse rib which engages an cured thereto at least one transverse rib which engages an adjacent one of said upper and lower beams between the flanges thereof and so locks said adjacent upper and lower beams together in the direction of their load.

4. A hollow floor or roof structure having, in a the bevelled portion and flange of an adjacent 7 beam spaced along said beam and secured to said web alternately to either side thereof.

5. A unit of a hollow floor or roof structure in the form of a pre-cast flanged beam'which comprises upper and lower horizontal flanges of concrete, at least one metallic reinforcing member embedded in each said concrete flange, a longitudinally extending web of concrete connecting said upper and lower flanges, at least one metallic reinforcing member embedded in said web and connected to said metallic reinforcements of said flanges, a series of transverse ribs secured to both sides of said web, and at-least one metallic reinforcing member embedded in each of said ribs and connected to said metallic reinforcing members of said flanges and said web. a

6. A unit of a hollow 'floor or roof structure in the form of a pre-cast flanged beam which comprises upper and lower horizontal flanges of concrete, at least one metallic bar embedded in each said concrete flange and extending longitudinally I of said flanges, a longitudinally extending web of concrete connecting said upper and lower flanges, at least one metallic reinforcing bar embedded in said web and extending longitudinally thereof, a series of transverse ribs secured to both sides of said web, and at least one metallic reinforcing bar bent to conform to the outer face of said ribs and embedded in each of the latter.

'7. A metallic structure for the reinforcement of floor or roof beams having upper and lower flanges connected by a longitudinally extending Web and transverse ribs secured to said web, comprising a plurality of longitudinal metallic bars for insertion into one flange of said beam, a plurality of transverse metallic bars secured to said longitudinal bars to hold the latter in spaced relation, a longitudinally extending metallic bar for insertion into the other flange of said beam, upwardly extending bars secured to said second flange bar and one of said first flange bars to hold said flange bars in spaced relation, and metallic bars bent to conform to the outer face of said ribs and secured to said longitudinally extending bars.

8. A hollow floor or roof structure which includes a series of lower beams having narrow upper and wide lower flanges and a centrally disposed longitudinal web, said lower beams being supported at their extremities, a series of upper beams having wide upper flanges and narrow lower flanges and a centrally disposed longitudinal web, said upper beams resting upon said lower beams, the wider flanges of said-beams abutting, and transverse ribs carried by each beam and engaging adjacent beams between the flanges thereof to lock said beams together in the direction of their load.

JOHANN'ES CORNELIS PIE'IER LEEMHUIS. 

